


Lewis’s eyes

by Eagefrien



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Arthur is a tool for all the pranks, Curses, Eye Horror, Fluff, Gen, I forgot mystery again, I suppose, Precave, Vivi is a queen but also a gremlin, look out Lewis, oh well, planned shenanigans, they're friends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-10-21 07:47:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20689985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eagefrien/pseuds/Eagefrien
Summary: As it turns out, Lewis’s eyes are much more discreet than either of his friends would have guessed- so much so that they’ve never seen his eyes.. ever! Well, it’s finally been taken upon Arthur and Vivi to figure it out what Lewis could possibly be hiding under his hair- with some inside help.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wooo~! God I love writing again..!! Slowly getting back into the swing of things so I can get back to my more.. *cough* complex projects, I’m excited to see where this is going!!

“Alright _bitch.”_

A hand slams down on the table, rattling the several glasses accumulated over the course of several hours, and disrupting Arthur’s train of focus. The scene dissipates faster than he can mentally bookmark it, and with fleeting images of the hero finally approaching her long lost rival and best friend. He scowls (playfully) up at the woman. 

_”Yes?”_

Except that friendliness quickly snaps into surprise when he sees a full on blush across her cheeks. “I need a favor from you.” Vivi says in one breath, one she apparently was holding because in the next second she’s doubling in the opposite direction and coughing her lungs up. 

“Uh, okay?” Arthur awkwardly patted her back, “What is it?”

Vivi gasps in a long breath, sighs, and then spins into a chair that suddenly was tucked in the table (when did that get there?). 

“I need you to find out what color Lewis’s eyes are.” 

...

_What?_

“Yes! I need you to-“ Vivis face is now completely red, and quite obviously due to her complexion, but Arthur couldn’t even laugh at that. 

“To find out-“

“Lewis’s eye color?” 

“Yes! Please!” She nearly begs, hands clasping together and with an expression so unlike Vivi it’s unnerving. 

_Did I get transported? What on earth?_

“You... don't know?”

That only seemed to make her more antsy, Vivi’s bouncing in her seat now. “No! I haven’t! I never bothered to check and now I’m curious and I can’t just ask because _what kind of girlfriend would that make me? To not know my boyfriends eye color-_ Hell! I haven’t even seen them! Ever! Arthur please do me this solid and-“ 

“Hey- quiet.” _Wow that’s a really rude way to say that.._

Except, it worked. Mid arm flail, Vivi pauses and promptly sags into her chair, eyes wide and pathetic and mouth pursed in a pout.

“I can ask him for you, don’t worry about it. And I don’t think Lewis would be like- _upset_ by you not knowing.” Lord _knows_ Lewis wouldn’t be upset. If anything, he’d find it so cute that he would sweep Vivi off her feet in a kiss before revealing them. That’s just how he is! 

“Okay...” Vivi nearly _whimpers_. 

_Was she really this embarrassed? Oh Vivi.._

Suddenly, like a balloon, she’s at attention, eyes wide and sparkling like nothing was ever wrong. Full of unwavering mischief.

_Oh no-_ “Then I need you to follow a very specific plan for me!”

She rattles on, growing more and more excited by the second. And with each detail, Arthur felt more and more unsure. 

_There's no way he can do that to Lewis. No way he can just- that’s so mean!_

Even as he walks away from the table, and from the wildly grinning Vivi, who’s cackle echoed in his skull. 

Although, he couldn’t help but admit, Arthur can't recall ever seeing Lewis’s eyes either. He could have sworn they were purple tho! 

... Were they..? 

Regardless,  _even if he didn’t know_ he wasn’t just going to flip back Lewis’s head and take a look for himself! Lewis probably had a great reason for not wanting anyone to see! And even then, he may just be shy.

Still didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. 

Sucking in a breath, Arthur pulls out his phone, finger itching to text Lewis immediately. 

Instead, because he has the worst case of shaky fingers that he has ever seen, the screen lights up and begins a call. Arthur couldn’t even gasp, _NO-!_

And Lewis, the perfect, punctual and loyal friend he is, instantly picks up. 

_“Hello Arthur, everything alright?”_

“Ack-!” Arthur screams, manually closing his throat to avoid verbally barfing _again._

_“...Artie? Do you need me to come pick you up?” _Lewis’s panic is evident in his voice, coupled with the sound of a chair scraping against the floor a bit too quickly had Arthur nearly screeching again. 

“No! No- _uh _No, I’m good, just a bit anxious but in a not too bad way.”

Silence, followed by the hesitant creak of someone sitting in a chair again,_ “Go on.”_

“Alright- so,” Arthur’s voice stutters uncomfortably, “Vivi wants to see your eyes- know the color specifically- but she’s really nervous you’ll be mad at her for asking, so-” 

_”Excuse me-?”_

“She sent me out with a mission, but I wanted your input first.”

_Thank god, _Arthur’s heart rate instantly slowed down, far more relieved at coming out with it than he probably should be. As all the anxiety quickly fled in place of _pure manly confidence _Arthur only has with his friends. 

Which made hearing Lewis’s broken tone all the more heartbreaking, _“I-... I wouldn’t get mad at her. Why did she think that?”_

Whining, Arthur bites his lip, “Honestly I got no clue, it.. threw me through many loops too. I don’t think she views you like that though, could be that she’s just- nervous?” 

_“..I suppose you’re correct. So- she wants to know my eye color?”_

“Yes but-“

_“It’s purple.”_

_“I knew it, holy shit!_ Well- actually! Vivi... uh, asked me to do some stuff that’s super dramatic.”

A soft chuckle fills his ear, and at the same time, soothed the ache in his stomach (probably from forgetting to eat.) 

_“Well- I live for the dramatics. Let’s hear it. And, I’d like to hear why you were nervous to ask.”_

“Okay, so-“ how exactly is Arthur supposed to say this? “she wants me to sneak up on you, yank you down to my height, and then have me move your hair to expose your eyes. Paraphrasing here, I should add.”

Lewis muffles a laugh, _“Is that so? Yank me down how?”_

“I- I think by your hair? But like- that’s super painful on its own and I know your heads been hurting a lot lately so I don’t want to actually hurt you and-“

_”Aww, Artie, you’re sweet. Although, by any chance will she settle for ascot pulling?”_

“Uh- yeah probably. But that’s still going to _hurt!”_

_”Tap me before you do it, I’ll be sure to brace myself so it doesn’t hurt too much. And I’ll loosen it beforehand.”_

“... so you’re okay with me seeing your eyes then?” 

The line goes quiet, and Lewis’s lips click with realization. _“Oh- um... no, not particularly. But-“_

“You aren’t? Alright, I won’t take a peak then. I can call her and tell her I chickened out in a moment-“

_”No, nonono, it’s.. uh... I....”_ Lewis sputters and fumbles with his words for several seconds, inviting that anxiety back into the forefront of Arthur’s soul, _”It’s- look, Artie, I trust you, a lot. I don’t mind if you see my eyes but.. I ... don’t think you’ll be happy to see them..”_

_Is he embarrassed?_

“Uh- wait, what? Why?” _Surely Lewis has gorgeous eyes. Absolutely stunning. Drop dead gorgeous. Eyes that sparkle and make heads turn instantly at a mere glance. If “not happy to see them” meant Arthur would die from sheer beauty, he would accept it._

But by the nervous anxiety in Lewis’s voice, Lewis didn’t see it that way. 

_“I- it’s hard to explain. But I’ve always covered them up due to how- and I quote- how unnerving they are. Apparently they’re very frightening and- even I don’t look at them very often.”_

“... You got ugly eyes or something?”  _WOW, THAT WAS RUDE, ARTHUR WHA-_

_”Yes actually, horrendous.”_

“Bullshit.”

_“Artie-“_

“Lewis, I will drop kick you into hell for degrading yourself like that, I’m the only self deprecating hoe in this town.”

_”....”_

“... I’m sorry- that was really rude of me. If you don’t-“

A heavy sigh breaks his train of thought, _”No, no. It’s okay, Arthur, I would have said the same thing. And on an unrelated note, you and I will be having a chat later on this very subject.”_

Arthur shivers, gulping slightly as he remembers Lewis’s intense cuddle lectures. “So... do you want me to take seeing your eyes or not.” 

W sighs again, this time, laced with resignation, he _last_ thing Arthur wants to hear in his  voice. 

_”I trust you, Arthur, a lot. So... yes, I will let you see my eyes. Just- when you do... uh... be honest with your reaction..”_

“Yeah-!” Arthur stutters again, completely unsure of himself and what that meant, “seriously, don’t worry, okay? If you change your mind, I will respect that.”

_”Thank you, Artie. I appreciate it.”_

Exchanging goodbyes and setting up a time for Lewis to come over for the scripted event, Arthur hung up. 

Unable to tear his thoughts from Lewis’s words. 

_They can’t be that bad, right?_

“Artie~” A voice tears his thoughts from the mystery surrounding Lewis’s face. Whipping his head back, Arthur forces the most sincere smile he could- except it didn’t matter, because her bright screen is squishing against his cheek and throwing him off completely. 

“I was texting Lewlew~” _Were you now, Vivi? _“He said he’ll be coming over in about thirty minutes, ready?” 

“Absolutely not. This is the equivalent of pantsing the man.” 

Vivi snorts, and Arthur can’t help but wonder where that bashful attitude vanished to, “Oh really? Have we gone back to the scandalizing times of bare ankles?” Vivi hooks her arm around Arthur’s neck, yanking him down to her height and knocking their heads together, the devil's glare shining in her brilliant eyes, “Don’t tell me you’re gonna see his eyes and cre-“ 

“Alright! Moving on!” Arthur rips away from her, face gone beat red at the mention. Loud chortling following as Vivi fell back into her seat, giggling so much she clutches her sides. Casting a glance over his side, Arthur glares.

_”That ain’t funny,”_

Vivi nearly falls over.

And thus, Vivi’s head popped up every time the doorbell chimes, attentively waiting for the familiar wave and the friend squeezing through the door frame. 

_And waiting for his ultimate demise. _Arthur tacks on, having also glanced over in anticipation at even the _slightest _baritone in a voice. Of course, the whole thing was becoming a lot more silly and playful the more he realized all three of them were in on it without realizing everyone was in on it. Vivi would be _pissed_ (okay, exaggerating, but definitely annoyed) if she found out Lewis knew it was coming. Although, for Arthur, it was still unbelievably relieving, wanting to avoid accidentally hurting his friend over a joke. 

Then again, having Lewis be aware of it was equally nerve wracking and exciting, however that worked. More or less because Arthur was ultimately out of the loop as well. The more and more he thought back to it, Arthur realized he never saw anything more beside a glimpse of one of his eyes, _rarely. _Even then he was straining his mind due to swarm of fuzzy memories and confusing facts. 

Such as _didn’t Arthur clearly see the utter disgust in Lewis’s eyes whenever confronted with a horrifying act of humanity, or was Arthur simply filling in a blank he couldn’t write off?_

_Well there was that one time when- No.. no that’s not correct, Lewis still had his bangs down. And it was dark._

_Then how about- No, that doesn’t work! He had sunglasses!_

_Is Lewis always wearing sunglasses...? Did he have a weird eye or something he didn’t want anyone to see?_

Arthur pops up, a familiar chime ringing in his ears and catching both his and Vivis attention. Not lasting long because it was a small woman coming into the bookstore. Arthur huffs, checking his phone worriedly. He shouldn’t be too excited, he doesn’t know _when_ Lewis is coming. 

Or how much time he had left to theorize about the possibility of what Lewis considered a scary eye. _Would it be a lazy eye? Maybe they’re always facing two different directions..?_

Arthur’s fingers begin to tap, so much so that there would _probably_ be bruises there later, just from the pressure.

And just like that, the trance of thought was all but shattered when the final remaining seconds tick by in his ear. The jingle of the door now accompanied by a loud and comfortably soft, “Good morning, you two~” 

Swiveling back, Arthur couldn’t stop the grin breaking across his face, all relief coming to the surface in an instant. Until he was reminded of what he needed to do. 

The knowing grin stretched across Lewis’s face said enough. Arthur May begin to sweat bullets just from the plunge of anxiety and stress, his face and hands clammy and seemingly warmer. 

Spluttering, Arthur waves shakily, “G-.. Hey Lew, how you doing-?” 

“Swell~ and yourself?” The tilt in Lewis’s head sending another spike of guilt. 

_He said it was fine! Why are you so panicked?!_ Arthur swallows, graze drifting over to Vivi. She looked like a maniac peering over the menu like that, egging him on and masking her small giggles. 

_Is now the time? Is this the cue?? are you ready Lewis..?_ Swallowing back again, Arthur glanced back to Lewis. 

_”W-well,” That was too quiet. _Arthur’s heart pounded in his chest, going faster and faster for reasons Arthur didn’t understand. _We agreed to it already, shouldn’t be too scared-?_ It didn’t make sense to be so worried! Unless it did, and he should be very worried. But- 

Lewis quirked An eyebrow, grin falling away for nearly a second. As if forgetting his initial objective of being manhandled and instead focusing on him. 

_Cmon, cmon just go for it. He won’t mind. He’ll be okay-_

Pausing, Arthur feels Lewis’s gaze pierce into him. Before his attention shifts away, to Vivi. 

He was over to her in quick strides, taking a spot against the wall beside her booth (which was covered in books to make it seem like she was distracted). Arms crossed, ankles folded over one another, and Lewis’s face held nothing but peace and calmness, his entire stance seemed to radiate it. Even if he was slouching so much his neck strained to look at Vivi, just to avoid hitting his head. That _must _have been straining something else in his back. _Maybe they can both give Lewis a massage afterward?.. No! Focus!_

Arthur watches him intently, waiting for the words to arise in his throat again. And yet, they’re stifled by the fact that Arthur knew Lewis was looking at him. Even as his bangs fall over his face more, questioning Vivi as to why she was so giddy, Arthur could feel the piercing gaze of Lewis’s eyes going straight through him,

Giving him the go ahead, giving him a clear and open shot to accomplish their task. 

Arthur groans. 

And slams his hands on the table. 

“Lewis! I gotta talk to you,” the chair scrapes out, so disgustingly loud that Arthur couldn’t stop his shiver- and feel bad for Lewis, who immediately cringes at the sound. 

“Ah? Yes? What’s wrong, Arthur?” Lewis says, quiet and relaxed again and _so fake _it’s surprising Vivi didn’t pick up on it despite his visible discomfort two seconds ago.

_Why did it feel like Lewis’s eyes were twinkling even if Arthur couldn’t see them?_

Shoving the chair out of his way, Arthur tries to make his outwardly appearance more aggressive- for some reason

Lips pressing together, teeth grinding, Arthur ignores the buzz in his ears growing louder and louder with each step, warning him each time to back off, _stop doing what he’s doing._ Repeating messages that it wasn’t right, _even if it was!_

Lewis knew, he even helped plan it! 

_Then why was he so nervous? Because of what Lewis said? Maybe it would have been best to leave it be-_

“Artie...?” Arthur’s attention snaps back, flying up to where he suspected Lewis’s gaze would be, met with a tilted head and a soft yet _knowing_ frown. 

_Quit stalling._

Vivi was watching now, an eyebrow perked up with concern while glancing between the two of them over her scarf. She was just giggling two seconds ago! _C’mon Arthur!_

Lewis’s shoulders were beginning to tense up again, and Arthur swallowed for the umpteenth time. A smirk spreading across his face, “What’s with the face, Lewlew? I ain’t gonna fight you or anything! I just don’t think we’ve been seeing eye to eye lately.” At the mention, Lewis’s shoulders sag with relief, while Vivi gestures her confusion to him, which Arthur promptly ignores- 

“In fact-“ In one swift motion, Arthur grips the generously loosened ascot and yanks down, ‘forcing’ Lewis to eye level, and Arthur tries not to grind his palm against Lewis’s nose and forehead as he harshly pushes all the bangs against the scalp. 

And Arthur’s heart drops. Any amount of lighthearted feeling shriveled and died in an instant, stomach dropping into his shoes. And yet Arthur’s eyes were glued to Lewis’s.

_Lewis had no reason to lie, he never lied, honesty was his number one policy so why did Arthur think he would lie about something like this? Claim his eyes were horrifying and disturbing?_

Of _course _Lewis was telling him the truth. And that rang even louder when Lewis blinks uncertainty, his large- glassy eyes- sparkling in a way to make Arthur’s stomach twitch with disgust. 

Arthur’s mind races faster than he could register his thoughts, _Stop looking at him stop looking at him you’re making him upset you KNEW he was sensitive and yet- _Shaking his head- and hopefully slowing the horribly fast panic- Arthur stumbles back. Suddenly needing a lot more space to accompany his nerves spiking. No matter how much he moved away the feeling didn’t leave, both the feeling of horror- and the embarrassment of humiliating Lewis creeping up his spine. 

_He fucked up, he fucked up so much. Oh god how is it possible for him to fuck up this badly._

“Arthur,” Lewis’s gentle and _pained _voice interrupts his buzzing mind. Lewis shuffles away from them, a palm reaching up and covering his eyes from view, head tilted down, and without sparing a second glance he mumbled under his breath, “if you need it, there’s a trash can under the booth..” _His voice sounds so sad..!_

Vivi twists and pokes out from the booth, eyebrows furrowed together and eyes wide. Glancing from Lewis to Arthur and back again before she’s mouthing furiously, _What happened?_

Arthur’s mouth hung open in astonishment, unable to bring words past the lump in his throat.

Realizing she wasn’t going to get a response, Vivi pushes herself from the booth and rolls onto her feet, immediately turning to Lewis- whose head is twisted from her and is turning his back to her entirely. 

“Lewis? Baby..? It’s okay-“ Vivi palms his back, moving to his shoulder and squeezing it gently. 

“I- I’m alright, no worries Vivi..” 

There’s a horrible mix of emotion in Arthur’s chest. Fear instinctively pounding against his rib cage, confusion clouding his mind and memory, but also- intrigue and fascination swarming his senses. Leaving him stalling. 

“What the fuck...”

Lewis pops up, glancing over at Arthur who can’t stop staring. “Arthur, I am sorry,” he begins, not noticing Arthur steeling himself, “I knew this would happen and yet- _ACK-!”_

Lewis’s ascot is yanked down in an instant, his shoulders and neck freezing from being forced down. _Much harder _than Arthur intended to (he definitely owes Lewis a couple hundred gifts). Arthur wasn’t done there, fisting Lewis’s vest and forcing him into Vivi’s spot. No one had any time to process any of it until Arthur was parting Lewis’s bangs again, revealing his eyes for both Arthur and Vivi to see. 

Silence.

“...Whoa...” Vivi whispers as she peeks Arthur’s shoulder, completely breathless and intrigued unlike Arthur was. Arthur didn’t have to look at her to know that she was awestruck. 

And leaving Lewis to awkwardly sit there, scrambling for answers and confusion swarming through his head, evident in his doll- like eyes. His greatest secret displayed out for both of them to see, and they only stared in awe. 

“Wh.. what?” Its Lewis’s turn to splutter, twitching under Arthur’s palms and really wanting some breathing room, he averted his gaze, “I- I need space. Please, both of you.” 

“Ah!” Arthur jerks away, smacking Vivi as he did, and receiving a smack back, “Sorry dude! Here-“ He snags Vivi’s sleeve and yanked her into the booths other seats, sitting straight up and staring at Lewis expectantly. Expectant for what- Arthur wasn’t even really sure. 

Lewis pauses awkwardly, noticeable swallowing back and shrinking away from their gaze, righting himself up and fixing up his hair so it covered his eyes again. 

“So...” Vivi starts, “your eyes are purple! That’s cool!” 

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an awkward moment of silence, they finally break the ice!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So fun story, I meant for this to only have two chapters and that’s it. But I started whumptober at the same time so   
Another chap is on its way!! Preferably by next Sunday!

Gaze glued to the outer rim of his glass, Lewis pointedly avoids their eyes, fingers anxiously pressed against each other and a bead of sweat rolling down his chin. The silence growing miserable between them, and tension rising ludicrously so. 

“So…..” Vivi’s leg bounces under the table, splaying out over the table with her palm pressed to her cheek, a big grin across her face, “your eyes are purple! That’s neat!”

Lewis did not look thankful for the complement. Instead he resisted a miserable sigh. Instead, groaning, Lewis pinched the bridge of his nose and grumbles. 

“Yes… they are..” 

The silence is brutal. Without too much of a second thought, Lewis is gulping back his water, faster than usual and swallowing without care. 

And when he finally put it down- the action is cold and without care, marked by the loud click of his cup hitting the table. More silence. And Lewis is gently humming to himself, nervous and anxious and mulling over himself. 

Arthur switches to Vivi, and she’s mulling over something. 

Overall- too much mulling! _God he sounds like Vivi._

... No one tries to speak.

_Alright, this is going to murder me._

“Lewis?” Said mans eyes pop up to him, wide and curious and terrified of what Arthur would say next, “uh- look, I hate to put you on the spot, and really, you don’t gotta answer this. But why did you say that they were creepy?” 

Lewis blinks at him pointedly, “you nearly threw up.”

“Nearly! But didn’t!” Arthur shoots back, finger gunning him and a grin cracking across his face. Lewis’s expression didn’t shift. And with that, his face falls as well, opening his mouth to ask- but Vivi already is.

“Who’s been telling you that?” She scoffs, as of personally offended that someone dared to do  so. 

Lewis bites his lip, and brushes his hair down- an action neither of them gave much thought to until now.

“Would you believe me if I told you everyone did?”

Vivi’s palms fly up and slam against the table, undignified anger fueling the action, “even you’re parents?” 

Lewis flinches at the sudden intensity, but nods. Swallowing back, he lets out a small, anxious chuckle, “Yes.. they even.. fret over them. It’s- it’s more universal than you may suspect.” Forcing a wide- and even more apparently _strained_ smile- Lewis brushes his hair again, “I even hate the way they look. I sometimes wake up and see myself and just- vomit.” 

“But-? Why?” Arthur spits out, almost reaching over the table to Lewis and then switching to Vivi’s coffee, gulping it back. 

“You saw them yourself.” Lewis responds, voice going bitter. 

“Okay! Maybe! But they’re still-..” He’s at a loss for words, shoot, shoot! Arthur say something! “They’re nice- really _cool! and-”_

Lewis huffs, no longer irate, “Arthur, you don’t need to lie to me. I can handle the truth.” 

“Okay- they’re terrifying, but still cool and-” A finger suddenly shushes him, pressed against his lips as Vivi took the opportunity to talk.

“Artie, do me a favor and stop talking about it,” she turns to Lewis, extending an arm across the table for him to grab if need be, “so.. they’re bad, they look kinda bad, but… people really bother you about it?”

Lewis sighs, and nods yet again, “They have good reason to. These eyes look very suspicious and frightening, something out of a horror movie. Ever since my parents adopted me, I made sure to keep them hidden! Even at night.” He explains, waving off the explanation. 

Missing both Vivi and Arthur sharing another concerned look. 

_“...These _eyes?” 

If they could see them, then they would be able to see how large Lewis’s eyes widened in surprise. And immediate regret. 

“Ah… Ah-!!” Lewis swallows tightly, gulping back as if he can’t breath, “well- I.. I- I can… show you guys what my..” 

“Hey,” Vivi reaches now, a hand cupping his cheek and stifling Lewis rush of panic. Tense, but listening, Lewis noticeably looks to her, eyebrows knitted together, Vivi continues sweetly, “you don’t have to show us anything, okay? We love you just as you are, so go at your own pace.”

Lewis swallows, huffing out a sigh he held in. 

“Alright.. alright… I mean, I  _would_ like to show you two. I trust you guys with my life, and I trust you’ll be honest.”

Arthur gnaws his lip, _sounds like you would rather not, Lewis…_

“...But, I can’t show you here.”

“Alright, maybe next week? Tomorrow?” Vivi suggests, a calm and ting smile tracing her lips. 

Lewis responds quickly, an edge in his voice, “How about now? I can drive you guys to my house, make you dinner and.. show you my eyes.” 

“Sure, make a night out of it!” Arthur spouts, not realizing he was talking until he saw Lewis’s face flush. 

“It’s the least I can do for you guys.. if you’d like, I can get the van warmed up..? Unless you didn’t drive then- I can call a cab or-“ 

Shoving his hands in his pocket, Arthur grabbed his keys and tosses it at him, “yeah, no problem man. We’ll be out in a little moment.” He waves slightly, watching Vivi’s face contort out of the corner of his eye, and she finally realized why he did that when Arthur adds, “I wanna make sure Vivi won’t kill me for anything, you know how it is.”

Pausing, lewis considers the offer, but quickly accepts it. Taking the keys off the table and stands up, straightening out his vest and leaving them there. 

Lewis shuffles our of view, the _dring-a-ling_ of the door marking the exact moment Arthur twists over to look at her. Completely focused and with way too wide eyes. Vivi opened her mouth to make a joke about one falling out, but just as she did, Arthur immediately began talking. 

“So... just wanted to get this out of the way. Because Lew isn’t here. Are you mad at me?” 

“.... why would I?” Vivi asked, voice deadpan, and almost annoyed with him now. 

Arthur made a very vague gesture that apparently she was suppose to understand. “Well- I told him! When I wasn’t suppose to.” 

Vivi tilts her head, “You aren’t slick about these things, Arthur. I saw that you were calling him.” 

“You did?”

“Yeah.” 

Arthur frowns pointedly, as if thrown for a loop that was far too low yet still too high, “Oh. Then... why _are_ you mad?” 

“Well apparently Lewis has been getting insulted for most of his life. So yeah, I’m a little pissed,” her teeth grit, “even his parents! The peppers! They never insult people.”

Pursing his lips, Arthur shrugs and gazes at the table. 

“Uh... I... look I hate to prove his point but I- kinda, I kinda agree that they’re terrifying..?” 

She glares. 

“What? I feel sick to my stomach! My hands are still shaking. And my heart is  _racing.”_

Disbelieving, Vivi reaches up and presses her palm to his chest, snatching it back in an instant, faster than even Arthur expected, “What the _hell?_ That’s worse than usual! Here, no more coffee for you, only water.” She snatched his cup and shoved one of the waters toward him. Arthur took a quick sip and Vivi glances over to peer out the window, spotting Lewis getting settled in the van already. 

“I guess you’re heading back seat?”

“More likely than not. I’ll probably vomit if I don’t.” 

They get up, pay, and head out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOO~   
How’d you like that guys? Curious for the super duper secret truth to Lewis’s mysterious eyeballs? I know I AM!!   
Got a suggestion? A little part you liked? A part you hated?   
Let me know!! It brings me so much joy!


	3. In the eye of the beholder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis finally reveals his eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO I THINK THIS IS A TAD BIT LATE??   
//CHecks watch  
Actually not exactly, I just struggled rly hard getting the draft done with and then the rewrite, but thankfully a few friends lended some help!! Woohoo!!

"Lew-" 

Lewis shuffles out of the van quickly, ducking down and jogging past them all. Completely missing Vivi's hand reaching over for his. 

"...is..." She sighs, hand falling to the seat and watching him _trip and stumble_ over himself to open her door. 

"Would either of you like some tea? A snack-?" Lewis says in a rush of breath, "I can fry up an egg or.." 

Vivi steps out just as Arthur does, sharing a glance. _Wow, he's really getting right into it. We haven't even gotten inside, Lewis._ Vivi hums formlessly, frowning at Lewis's smile- which was stretched so wide it must have been horribly painful.

Over her shoulder, Vivi can hear Arthur mumble under his breath- _"Really trying to divert our attention this quick, huh?"_

"Sure!" Vivi pipes up, snatching Lewis's attention before he could even notice Arthurs comment, she's stepping up, hands clasped together in the _cutest_ distraction she could manage, "Can you make me some Earl Grey? Or green tea?" 

Lewis perks up, cheeks noticeably more red, "Of course!" He reaches up and opens the door for her, before turning to Arthur - who was sinking back just a few steps back - and holding a hand out to help him up, "Anything for you, Arthur?"

He pauses, freezing up just a bit, turning up to him with a wide eyed stare, until he cracks a grin, about to take his outstretched hand, "Nah! Im alright, I think I still have something left in your guys' fridge so-" 

"I threw it away." 

Pausing again, Arthur retracts his hand, eyebrows furrowed. Immediately, it hits Lewis like a bullet on how it came out. 

"Ah- I.. Arthur, Im sorry, I- I _did.._ Mama asked me to toss it and I- I didn't think you actually remembered it-!" His face is flushing even more, Lewis bites his lip. 

Biting back his disappointment, he forced his negative feelings down into his stomach and reminded himself repeatedly the stress Lewis was under- both self inflicted and not. 

"Er- Look, don't worry about it! I'll have whatever Vivi's having!" 

"I... thought you don't like tea." Lewis points out. 

Arthur wanted to scream. 

Both of their smiles drop, staring at each other awkwardly, stressing a whole lot more than necessary. Far more tense than either was comfortable. 

Arthur clicks his tongue, "I'm... a bit under the weather," he freezes when Lewis flinches, and he quickly spurts out, "so... whatever you have, its good! Just-... stomach soothing?" 

"Oh! Okay.. uh- yeah I can do that!" Lewis nods quickly and steps inside, holding the door open for a few short moments before vanishing inside. 

Leaving Arthur in his dust. 

"... There's _no way_ his eyes are that freaky. Definitely not as sinister as he's making it out to be." 

Arthur grumbles to himself, pushing himself through the door and immediately seeking out Vivi. A thousand questions and doubts burning in his head, trying to visualize what his eyes could _possibly_ look like. Hell! They could have been lips instead of eyelids and Arthur wouldn't be shocked! That thought amplified even more so as he notices Lewis rushing around in the kitchen. _What could it POSSIBLY BE that made him so antsy?_

Arthur turns around and peers into the living room, and nearly bounds across the space and jumps the table and plopping onto the couch next to her. 

He's so caught up in his racing thoughts that he didn't hear Vivi speaking to him. Until her hand flies out and slams into his chest- kick starting his heart to burst.

_ "What?" _

Vivi glares at him, clearly unimpressed with his overly animated display of emotion, "You're mumbling about lips." 

A rush of shivers races down his back, and Arthur straightens up, _"God,_ please don't remind me." He grumbles, straightening up and dusting off his clothes, crossing his legs tightly. He spins his head around, hoping that Lewis didn't witness it- but to his _surprisingly_ good fortune, Lewis was in the kitchen, bustling about and tending to whatever he felt necessary to attend to while the tea brewed. Arthur lets out the breath he's holding and turns to Vivi, "Im freaking myself out."

"How so."

"I'm thinking about what his eyes could _possibly look like."_ Arthur says, hands waving in front of his face to properly get out all the excess energy bursting from his anxiety, "There's no way that they're that bad, not like he's making them out to be, but what _could they be-"_

A finger presses against his lips, silencing his breathless rambles, and Vivi says in a very deadpan voice, "Are you fuckin' serious, Artie?"

"I am!" Arthur says back, just as serious, and even more panicked, his thoughts getting the best of him and racing through his head. Even more so that he didn't notice he was so close to her until Vivi's hand pressed against his chest, firmly pressing against him until Arthur got the hint and reclined. Taking on the most comfortable yet tense position he could. 

Vivi rolls her eyes and leans back herself, "I swear, it sounds like you're making wagers with corpses, ya goddamn lunatic." 

"I'm not _trying to!"_ Arthur shoots back, starting to lean forward again, shoulders tensing up a whole lot more, and Vivi rolls her eyes again and braces herself for Arthurs conspiracy theory. 

"It's just-" A kettle shrieks. Arthur whips back, nearly snapping his neck, eyeballing the gap in the kitchen door, expecting Lewis to be peering in and catching him spouting nonsense. 

It's completely empty, and Arthur lets out a large sigh of relief. He returns to look at Vivi, seemingly exhausted now, "Look.. I do feel super shitty for me to think like this but..." 

Unamused, Vivi crosses her arms and leans back. shrugging, "Look, I don't know what to expect, so I'm not too stressed out about it."

Pausing, Arthur swallows and mulls over that thought, deflating and looking more like a flat balloon than a human. 

And with the peace and quiet of Arthur thinking and not talking, Vivi leans back and rests her head. 

"Guys?" Lewis's voice floats over them, snapping Arthur out of his thoughts and Vivi from her mini nap. He's peeking in from the doorway, almost bent down all the way to look at them, a tray in hand with two cups of steaming tea. A frown decorating his face and clearly painting his displeasure, "Tea is ready!" He adds, a bit anxious as well. 

Vivi, who is legions more relaxed than probably everyone in the room, jumps up and makes her way across the space, taking the tray with ease, "Let me take that for you!" 

Conflicted, Lewis grabs uncertainty for the tray again. He would much rather her sit down and relax, but before he can insist, she's taken it and set it down already. Vivi now reaches for his hand. Lewis quickly hides it back, "Thank you Vivi, you truly are a blessing."

Vivi winks at him, pocketing her hand and flashing him a large grin. "A blessing in disguise of a disaster!" 

"More like bastard with benefits." Her face drops at Arthurs sudden words, and she whips around, glaring at him with a devilish grin.

"Thats right! Except i'm not just a beneficial bastard," she says, shimmering her way over and gripping Arthurs shoulder, "I'm a pimp, and you haven't been rackin' in the dough, Artie! I'm gonna demote you if you can't bring our prices back up, Artie. You're my best hoe, but i'll toss ya' on your ass!" 

“What can I say?” Arthur slurs dramatically, a hand over his face as he kicks his legs up like the diva he truly was, “Skinny, twinky blonds haven’t been in fashion for decades, boss! Do yourself a favor and invest in a hunk or two.”

Vivi swings behind him, gripping the couch and draping her scarf over him, “You know, the only reason I ain’ smacking you for that is because you _are_ my only hoe. You know what that means? Time for you to hit the gym!” Prodding his cheek and flicking his nose, she smirks, “imma make you the sexiest twunk. Whip you into shape! Right Lewis?” 

Silence. 

Vivi’s face falls, turning her head and glancing back- double taking when it hits her. Lewis had snuck off during their little charade, and with a frown, she slumps over the couch and huffs. 

“Damn, I was hoping that would cheer him up...” 

Arthur pushes himself up as well, starting to stand, “I can go check on hi... oh.” The shower upstairs is suddenly blasting, and he frowns even more. Pursing his lips, Arthur sits back down and takes a sip of his tea- trying not to spit it out from the sudden heat scorching his tongue- and says, “We th’ould Lea’ him a’one. Ya know, _priv’athy.”_

Huffing, Vivi flops over the side of the couch and sits upside down, staring at the glass windows and the various plants lining it, unable to stop herself from honing in on the running water. 

“I’ll t’eck o’ him in a minu’th.”

The didn't need to wait long. After thirteen minutes (trust her, she's been counting) the rush of the shower finally silenced, two minutes after that, the stairs creak heavily. Lewis slowly going down the stairs, so slow it sounded like he was gasping in pain with each step. When it suddenly struck her-

"You... you shouldn't be able to take _out_ glass eyes, right..?" Vivi stares at the stairs, gaze nearly glued there until he was in sight. 

Hunched over himself and with a palm clasped over his eyes, another hand grasping the rail for what seemed like dear life. 

She gasps, leaping from her seat and jumping over Arthur, bounding over to the stairway. Immediately, she sees long streaks of black running down his cheeks. Mascara-? Eyeliner-? Whatever it was, it was dripping freely and staining his shirt. 

"What happened?" She demands, urgency filling her voice as she reaches up to help him down, "Are you hurt?" She's holding him by his biceps, despite the fact that she's far too short and stretching to hold him like that.

Lewis chokes, coughing into his fist and looking away from her intentionally, "I'm f-fine..! I just need a minute to.. dab my eyes- _gahh..!"_ Lewis winces, the shine of the sunlight seemingly burning his eyes even more. 

"Sit down! I'll grab you some tissues and water," Vivi says, before whipping her head back to Arthur- whos already stood up in worry, "Close the curtains! Now!" 

Arthur nearly dives to do so, and Vivi shuffles behind Lewis to guide him to the couch, before immediately darting into the much brighter kitchen. A cup is quickly pushed under a rushing stream in the sink, and Vivi ravages the kitchen cabinets searching for the softest tissue paper she could find. Only problem- there wasn't any. The softest texture had to be the dinner napkins. Perhaps she can wet the napkins a bit for him-? With the thought in mind she slides back into the room. 

"Lewlew~ I got it!" Vivi yells, sliding in on her socks, holding out the box of napkins to Lewis- who anxiously takes the box.

“Th.. thank you, Vivi.” He whimpers, several more glistening tears rolling down his cheeks. Gingerly wiping his cheeks and dabbing his eyes, Lewis adds a tiny, “I really appreciate it.”

_This has got be the most I’ve been panicked this whole year._

Arthur saddles up beside him, an arm wrapped around Lewis’s shoulder kneading those pressure points that were undoubtedly tense and close to bursting, the other arm rubbing Lewis’s knee, in a mixture of a hug and massage. Taking his other side, Vivi leans her head against Lewis’s chest, hugging his stomach and rubbing comforting circles into his lower back.

“What happened, Lewlew?” She asks, leaning a tad bit forward to catch the look of his eyes, barley missing it by the shake of Lewis’s head.

Lewis sniffles, “I- I’m incredibly sorry, I didn’t mean to begin crying... my apologies.” He groans out, leaning into their touch, “It’s- it’s ludicrously painful to remove those eyes.. it’s a lot in a small amount of time.”

Arthur frowns, eyebrows furrowing together, “Lewis.. you didn’t have to rush, we don’t mind waiting.” 

“Your comfort is more important than that.” Vivi adds, and Lewis let’s out a sigh of relief and embarrassment, staring at his shoes. 

“I.... think I need some space.”

In an instant, both Arthur and Vivi scoot away, reassuring smiles on their faces. 

Except that wasn’t nearly enough to ease his claustrophobia. Lewis moves away entirely and takes a seat on an adjacent chair, refusing to look up at them. He folds his arms across his lap.

After a moment he lets out a tense sigh, “I really appreciate your patience, you guys. I am eternally grateful for your understanding.” He rolls his shoulders back tightly, frown lifting a small bit as they nod, “There’s a trash can under the table if you need it, Arthur.” 

Arthur lets out a huff of a laugh, “Thank you buddy.”

Lewis pauses, holding his breath, “Are you ready...?”

Both nod, sitting attentively.

Lewis takes a long moment, before lifting his hair.

Silence stretches over them, and for a few, fleeting moments, it seems like things were going to be just fine. 

But instead of needing the trashcan like Lewis suggested. 

Arthur passed out. 

Falling completely slack against the couch like someone flipped a switch. 

Lewis sighs and his shoulders sag, visibly deflating, and he mumbles sorrowfully, "I figured that would be his response.." 

However, in his distraction, Lewis completely missed Vivi. She's still upright, infact, she's standing now, eyes wide and filled with stars, contemplating what she saw with a blank yet buzzing mind. 

"Oh... _my god.."_

Lewis snaps over to her, hurriedly moving to cover his eyes, only to have that right taken when Vivi is much closer, gripping his wrist. 

She's staring directly into his eyes, a mixture of awe and wonderment on her face. 

Lewis shrinks under her stare, unable to resist asking, "Is.... is it bad?"

Only to be met with a burst of excitement, "Not at all!" Vivi yells, releasing his wrist and instead grabbing his cheeks, craning his head forward so she can get a better look at the empty black voids. 

_And that was far from an understatement._ His eyes- if they could be called that- were sockets full of a black, purplish swarm (Gaseous?) that swirled in a way nearly memorizing. His pupils were far from ordinary either. They were long magenta slits, almost like a thin line cut straight down the middle of his eye. They seemed to be 2d! Shrinking its balls of energy even more under her scrutiny. 

"Uh-... Vivi?" 

"... Is this why you had that cat girl phase?"

Lewis chokes on his sputter, "Vivi-?!" 

She laughs, unable to contain herself, and she smacks a hand over her mouth, "What? I could have sworn several of your Oc's had those exact type of eyes!"

Lewis frowns, and he shifts back, "I suppose it was a way of coping..?" His pupils shoot from her to the left, and Vivi quickly got the hint. Backing away and plopping herself on the couch besides his, but she couldn't contain her excitement so she leaned over the armchair. Lewis blinks rapidly and he scoots himself away from her. 

_Aw, who can blame him, it's a stressful day and you getting in his face probably doesn't help!_

"Sorry, Lewlew," She didn't sound sorry at _all_ considering the fact that she's nearly singing, "I just- I dunno, excited because- I didn't expect your eyes to look like.. well _that!"_

Lewis brushes his bangs against his scalp, but doesn't obscure his eyes just yet, although it's obvious he _really wants to._

"I suppose you're correct, I think I was cursed when I was younger.." 

Vivi blinks back her surprise, unable to think of a reason as to why anyone would curse Lewis with those <strike>rather epic looking</strike> eyes, especially when he was young. 

"Hm... do you remember a time when you... didn't have them?"

Lewis huffs out a laugh, except its forced and .. pained, "Anything before my family is a bit too foggy for me to distinguish, so it's hard to say."

"What do you mean?"

Lewis smiles softly, crossing his legs and reclining into a more relaxed position, although still incredibly intense. "To put it simply, I've had these eyes for as long as I can remember. I've needed the prosthetic eyes ever since my family took me in. They don't do much but they block the full effect of the.. _actual_ ones." They flicker like candles over to Arthur, who was still just... passed out, "Its why he suddenly went under so quickly. I can't help but think that they're worse for him, simply due to his sensitivities... That's why I tend to try and hide them at all costs." Lewis explains, and the pained expression is back, "If I cover them with multiple layers, it can prevent ... _that_ from occurring," With a noticeable shudder, he adds, "I once nearly killed a person simply by glaring at them.."

"Damn, I guess looks really can kill." 

"..."

"Right, my bad." Vivi leans back, resting her head on the back of the couch and letting her eyes wander. Landing on one of Lewis's many, bulky, inch thick glasses.

"If you want," Vivi suddenly started, "I can look into spells and charms to nullify the effects." She says, now rolling her head and looking directly to Lewis, not noticing the shake rustling down her spine. 

Lewis, found it much nicer than she thought it was, "Aw, really? That's incredibly sweet of you, Vivi." It's his turn to lean over, resting a hand on her knee and squeezing it lightly, "But... its more or less futile. I've even spoken with Duet about this and they had no recommendations for this.. 'condition.'" He looked mighty uncomfortable referring to it as that, before a seriousness overtook his face again, "I don't want to hurt you in any capacity."

Vivi smiles with him, and scoops his hand in hers, pressing a kiss to it. 

"You don't gotta worry about that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And SCENE!   
Woohoo! That was fun, hows everyone doing? Enjoying your popcorn? Enjoying your music? good!! Perfect!!!
> 
> I would like to apologize, but- I have a good feeling that very soon I wont have much time to write fanfics here, a least- through november.   
BECAUSE!!!   
Im participating in NanoWrimo this year :D! I plan to be writing out one of my /BIGGER projects in full during this month.   
So, I will do my VERY BEST to finish off (more like add the next installment) to the next WIP ill be focusing on, "Pay It Forward"   
which is just a mess but fcfgvhijok its ok Ay
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading ^^

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! Thank you for reading!  
I had a lot of fun with this fic, and I hope you all enjoy it too!!  
What’s your favorite part? Like a line a lot? Got some critique? Tell me all about it in a comment! They really help me!! <3 <3


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